This dissertation bridges the gap of knowledge between communication and financial research in the area of corporate information dissemination. Mainstream financial research views corporate disclosure of earnings as an event. Earnings estimates are important to the valuation of a firm. It would...

The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to develop a profile of owner-manager entrepreneurs of 30 medium-sized firms in the "missing middle" sector of Kenya's economy, and (b) to investigate the business strategies used by these managers through the various stages of growth of their...

This dissertation develops and tests a new theory of private branding, a business practice under which manufacturers' products are sold to consumers under retailers' brands. The theory first argues that consumers' satisfaction with a product depends on both the performance of the manufacturer...

Traditional neoclassical microeconomic theory views the production function as a "black box" where homogenous inputs go in and output comes out. Differences in labor productivity between firms are mainly due to technological constraints facing the firm.

Over the last several decades, manufacturers in the developed countries have adopted organizational techniques collectively referred to as lean production. An essential element of the lean production model is the specialization and decentralization of production decisions throughout the supply...

The purpose of this study was to develop and compare the profiles of entrepreneurs who completed a specific Small Business Development Program (SBDP) and those who have not received any business training with a view to identifying training needs for the two groups. The results were obtained from...

The objective of this dissertation was to improve our understanding of why some accounting issues emerge onto the FASB agenda. This necessary condition for the issuance of accounting standards has received no attention in the accounting literature. This paper employs a regulatory space metaphor...

This dissertation synthesizes previous research from consumer research, psychology and applied economics to develop a conceptual model explaining the effects of perceived price and perceived brand on consumers' pre-purchase service expectations. This research also addresses the extent consumers'...

The emergence and transmission of organizational culture in small growing organizations founded by teams was examined using data from a laboratory study of 40 simulated organizations and a field study of 4 actual organizations. The dimension of culture examined was the nature of human relations...

Manufacturers often offer trade promotions such as markdown allowances as incentives to retailers. These savings, if passed onto consumers in the form of lower retail prices, can stimulate consumer purchases and thus enhance the manufacturers' profits. Retailers, however, may not pass savings...